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Policy Brief

Policy Brief: California’s Higher Education Funding Landscape

By Kevin Cook, Jacob Jackson, Iwunze Ugo, Chansonette Buck

As California looks to establish a more stable post-pandemic funding model for postsecondary institutions, significant challenges lie ahead. Multiple factors could contribute to reduced state revenues and greater reliance on tuition especially for four-year colleges, making costs higher for students.

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California Remains on Track to Close the Degree Gap

By Hans Johnson, Marisol Cuellar Mejia

Six years ago, PPIC projected a shortage of 1.1 million highly educated workers in California by 2030. Today—despite the disruptions caused by the pandemic—the state is on track to close this gap.

Fact Sheet

Student Loan Debt in California

By Jacob Jackson, Darriya Starr

Student borrowing in California has declined markedly over the past decade. Borrowing rates vary across the state’s public and private institutions; undergraduates at public universities are least likely to borrow, while students who attend for-profit schools are more likely to struggle to pay off loans.

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The Rising Cost of College: Student Fees

By Courtney Lee, Jacob Jackson

Rising student fees increase the cost of attending college in California, even as the state's major public universities have agreed to freeze tuition.

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Improving Graduation Rates at California State University

About the Program
In recent years, the California State University system has significantly improved graduation rates. This is a financial and economic boon to students, who earn more as college graduates, and the state, which needs more college-educated workers. What can we learn from this success? And how can we improve upon the progress already made? Research fellow Jacob Jackson will provide an overview of the system's progress to date and the implications for future efforts.

This research was supported with funding from The Sutton Family Fund.

Report

Increasing Community College Transfers: Progress and Barriers

By Hans Johnson, Marisol Cuellar Mejia

Community college transfers are an essential route for underrepresented groups to achieve a bachelor’s degree. This study shows that students who reach key early milestones are much more likely to succeed. Recent reforms have the potential to lead to large increases in student transfer and success.

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College Enrollment Is Holding Steady among First-time Students at UC and CSU

By Hans Johnson, Jacob Jackson

Many public universities across the US have experienced declining enrollment in recent years. The University of California and California State University systems have largely bucked this trend, though pandemic disruptions and other factors raise questions about the future.

Report

Higher Education in California: Student Costs

By Jacob Jackson

Increases in tuition across California’s public four-year universities have heightened concerns about the affordability of a college education, especially for those with the lowest incomes. In-state full tuition at the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) has risen more dramatically than at other public universities in other states over the past decade. During this same period, the federal, state, and institutional grant and scholarship programs that help make college affordable for students from lower- and middle-income families expanded. This helped lower-income families keep up with rising tuition, but the full price of college beyond tuition can still be a relatively large share of their income. Given the importance of higher education to California’s economic future, policymakers at the federal, state, and institutional levels need to make a continuing commitment to keep college affordable for students from low- and middle-income families. Also, given current tuition levels, it is more important than ever for the state to ensure that all students fill out financial aid forms and can easily access tools that can help them understand the financial aid packages they are offered.

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